Scientific American and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University are teaming on an online workshop aimed at helping scientists and engineers write blogs and op-eds for magazines, newspapers, and other news outlets. Presented in partnership with The Kavli Foundation, two dozen scientists will receive mentoring on writing over this fall and next spring, with successful assignments to be considered for publication as a Scientific American guest blog. The program will culminate with a special gathering in New York City in Fall 2018, where course participants will network with instructors, science communication experts and peers as well as staff from the Alda Center and Scientific American. The Kavli Foundation sponsors an annual keynote address at the APS Annual Convention.

The course is open to scientists at the post-doc level and higher (no graduate students) and will likely require 5–10 hours per week of commitment. Only 12 scientists will be accepted for each session, beginning Fall 2017 and Spring 2018. There is no cost to participate, as the course is sponsored by the Kavli Foundation. No educational credit will be given for completion. Applications will be accepted from June 26, 2017 through July 31, 2017.

Free to scientists and engineers, participants will be selected competitively, with the application process opening today. For more information and to apply, visit the website.